Island Wife Hebrides
Originally from the mainland I had never before heard or been to the Hebrides when I found myself having to move here. My initial experience of the Outer Hebrides was when I first rolled off the ferry, age 23, a young newly-married mother. All was foreign to me in so many ways, not only from a geographical point and I found myself on an extraordinary journey of self-discovery. Deep within the confines of post-natal depression, I discovered a deep comfort in the beautiful yet lonely isolation of the unknown Hebrides. The wild Atlantic sea and raging winds became my friends. Scotland became an inspiration and it was on Harris I began to seek healing in the written word. These writings are a documentation of my journey. I try to be as honest and truthful as possible whilst staying respectful to the people who also call the islands home. You will, I hope, taste and see what it’s like to view the Hebrides through the eyes of a young woman in a foreign land with depression and a growing family. I hope to bring an insight into what family life is like upon the islands, in both the ordinary and extraordinary details that make life here life. The remote and isolated Islands (both Outer and Inner) have become both balm and salt as I battle with the reality of poor mental health and motherhood. Writing has become a tool for me to escape the confines of my own head and the daily harsh realities of the life I have strangely found myself in. These pages are a coming of age. Learning to ‘swim’ in the rough Atlantic waves when I didn’t know how, I truly wrote myself a life jacket. If you’ve ever dreamt of moving to the Hebrides, wondered what it’s like to dwell and walk the footsteps of an islander, or battled your own good fight with mental health these pages are for you.
Pour yourself a cup of tea and explore the islands with me.
From the Hebrides,
Lucy.
Island Wife Hebrides 